Fulfills Social & Behavioral (SB) and United States Social and Cultural Diversity (U) General Education Requirement.
This course is about three big ideas: (1) Human language is an instinct,
which has properties far beyond those needed for communication. Chimps,
bees and birds can communicate, but only humans have the language
instinct. (2) All human languages, spoken or signed, are equal. There
are no primitive languages and all dialects follow rules of grammar. (3)
We use language to make community. When you say 'frappe' or 'milk
shake', you make a statement about the group you belong to. These ideas
are explored through lectures, videos, readings, and discussion.
Discussions meet on Monday. There are 8 sections at times ranging from 10:10 to 1:25.